[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1733 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1733

 To develop and implement a unified electronic data system to enhance 
access to information that is relevant to determine whether to issue a 
  visa or admit an alien to the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 27, 2001

  Mr. Edwards introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To develop and implement a unified electronic data system to enhance 
access to information that is relevant to determine whether to issue a 
  visa or admit an alien to the United States, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Name Matching for Enforcement and 
Security Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. INTEROPERABLE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE DATA SYSTEM WITH 
              NAME MATCHING CAPACITY AND TRAINING.

    (a) Unified Electronic Data System.--Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, the Attorney 
General, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Commissioner of Immigration 
and Naturalization, and the Director of Central Intelligence shall 
develop and implement a unified electronic data system to provide 
current and immediate access to information in databases of United 
States law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community that is 
relevant to determine whether to issue a visa or to determine the 
admissibility of an alien to the United States.
    (b) Name Search Capacity and Support.--
            (1) In general.--The unified electronic data system 
        required by subsection (a) shall--
                    (A) have the capacity to match names even when 
                those names are entered and stored in different fields 
                within the different databases referred to in 
                subsection (a);
                    (B) be searchable on a linguistically sensitive 
                basis;
                    (C) provide adequate user support;
                    (D) be developed in consultation with private 
                sector firms;
                    (E) to the extent practicable, utilize commercially 
                available platforms; and
                    (F) be adjusted and improved, based upon experience 
                with the databases and improvements in the underlying 
                technologies and sciences, on a continuing basis.
            (2) Linguistically sensitive searches.--
                    (A) In general.--To satisfy the requirement of 
                paragraph (1)(B), the unified electronic database shall 
                be searchable based on linguistically sensitive 
                algorithms that--
                            (i) account for variations in name formats 
                        and transliterations, including varied 
                        spellings and varied separation or combination 
                        of name elements, within a particular language; 
                        and
                            (ii) incorporate advanced linguistic, 
                        mathematical, statistical, and anthropological 
                        research and methods.
                    (B) Languages required.--Linguistically sensitive 
                algorithms shall be developed and implemented for no 
                fewer than 4 languages designated as high priorities by 
                the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the 
                Director of Central Intelligence.
            (3) Adequate user support.--To satisfy the requirement of 
        paragraph (1)(C), the unified electronic data system shall 
        provide--
                    (A) authoritative, easily accessed information 
                about the nature, structure, and likely gender of names 
                in different languages, including at least those 
                languages specified pursuant to paragraph (2)(B); and
                    (B) a means for communication of questions to 
                experts.
            (4) Interim reports.--Beginning not later than 6 months 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 6 months 
        thereafter, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the 
        Secretary of the Treasury, the Commissioner of Immigration and 
        Naturalization, and the Director of Central Intelligence shall 
        submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress on 
        their progress in implementing each requirement of this 
        section.
            (5) Reports by intelligence agencies.--
                    (A) Current standards.--Not later than 60 days 
                after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
                of Central Intelligence shall complete the survey and 
                issue the report previously required by section 309(a) 
                of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
                1998 (50 U.S.C. 403-3 note).
                    (B) Guidelines.--Not later than 120 days after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
                Intelligence shall issue the guidelines and submit the 
                copy of those guidelines previously required by section 
                309(b) of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal 
                Year 1998 (50 U.S.C. 403-3 note).
            (6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the 
        provisions of this subsection.
    (c) Consultation Requirement.--In the development and 
implementation of the data system under this section, the Secretary of 
State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Treasury, the 
Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization, and the Director of 
Central Intelligence shall consult with the Director of the Office of 
Homeland Security, the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force, United 
States law enforcement agencies, and the intelligence community.
    (d) Technology Standard.--The data system developed and implemented 
under this subsection, shall utilize the technology standard 
established pursuant to section 403(c) of the United and Strengthening 
America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and 
Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001.
    (e) Access to Information in Data System.--Subject to subsection 
(f), information in the data system under this section shall be readily 
and easily accessible as follows:
            (1) To any Foreign Service officer responsible for the 
        issuance of visas.
            (2) To any Federal agent responsible for determining the 
        admissibility of an alien to the United States.
    (f) Limitation on Access.--The Secretary of State, the Attorney 
General, and the Director of Central Intelligence shall establish 
procedures to restrict access to intelligence information in the data 
system under this section under circumstances in which such information 
is not to be disclosed directly to Government officials under 
subsection (e).
                                 <all>